Vincentian steps up on defense
Tri-State Sports & News Service
Vincentian is on one of the best runs in WPIAL history, having reached the WPIAL championship game six years in a row and winning the title five times in that span.
A high-powered offense was a big reason for the team’s success many of those previous years.
This season the team’s relentless defense has taken center stage.
Scoring against Vincentian has been a lost cause for most teams this season, which in turn has allowed the Royals to collect win after win. Vincentian was 10-1 overall and 5-0 in Class 2A Section 2 going into Thursday’s game against section co-leader Brentwood. The Royals gave up just 13 points against Springdale on Monday and have surrendered 33.4 per game on the season, fewer than they had in any of the previous six seasons.
“We’re defending pretty well,” Vincentian coach Ron Moncrief said. “That’s probably the biggest thing. We’re holding teams to a low amount of points and making them take contested shots, as well.”
Vincentian plays primarily man-to-man. However, it was a switch to zone that helped the Royals pick up their most impressive win of the season last Saturday. The Royals trailed Class 3A power Bishop Canevin, 2416, at the half in a game that was part of The Challenge at Mt. Lebanon. After playing man in the first half, Moncrief had his team move into a 3-2 zone in the second. It worked, so much so that the Royals outscored Canevin, 18-6 — including 6-0 in the fourth — on the way to a 3430 win.
“It was a big win for us. We know Canevin is a very good team. Being able to come back and win was huge,” Moncrief said.
Moncrief has a veteran team. Four senior starters also started on last season’s squad that went 21-6 and lost to Chartiers-Houston in the WPIAL championship. That group consists of guard-forward Caroline Elliott, guards Olivia O’Brien and Marina Eyster, and forward Katie Bartlett. Sophomore guard Alana Winkler is the other starter.
Elliott is one of the top players in Class 2A. A Duquesne recruit, Elliott leads Vincentian in scoring and rebounding, averaging 16.1 points and 10 rebounds per game. At 5 feet 10, Elliott has played all five positions offensively and can guard every position, as well.
Vincentian can become only the sixth team in WPIAL history to make it to the WPIAL championship game seven years in a row, joining North Catholic (197996), Penn Hills (1986-92), Geibel Catholic (1991-99), Oakland Catholic (1999-2007) and Seton LaSalle (2009-15).
The Royals hope to reign supreme again after seeing their five-year title run end last season.
“It’s one of our motivations this year,” Moncrief said. “Getting beat in the final left a bad taste in our mouth.”
Hampton
It’s rare to find a guard duo like the one Hampton has in seniors Ali Collins and Laryn Edwards. Not only are they talented — both will play in college — but they also have been teammates for nearly a decade, playing grade school and AAU basketball together since the fourth grade.
Collins, a shooting guard, and Edwards, a point guard, came into the week as one of only two sets of teammates in the WPIAL to both be averaging at least 19 points per game. Collins, a Seton Hill recruit, was averaging 20.7, and Edwards, a Loyola, Md. recruit, was averaging 19.3.
“They always know where each other is at on the court,” said Hampton coach Tony Howard. “We try to keep them on opposite sides because it’s harder to defend them when they’re on opposite sides of the floor. They have seen everything from straight man-to-man to boxand-one to triangle-and-two. They do a lot of similar things and they make the other three girls better.”
Hampton was 7-2 overall and 4-0 in Class 5A Section 4 heading into Thursday’s game against Kiski Area. The Talbots have a big section contest Monday at Mars.
Penn-Trafford
Penn-Trafford was outscored by Norwin, 12-0, in the second quarter of their Class 6A Section 2 clash last Wednesday … yet still won by 15 points.
It was a weird first half that night at Norwin, with Penn-Trafford jumping to an 18-2 lead after one quarter before being shut out in the second quarter. However, Penn-Trafford controlled the second half, outscoring Norwin, 33-22, on its way to a 5136 victory.